SAN JOSE — A bicyclist was killed early Thursday by a hit-and-run driver near the site of the new BART station in North San Jose, according to police.

The victim, a San Jose man whose identity was not immediately released, was riding in the bike lane on westbound Mabury Road near King Road around 2:30 a.m. when he was hit by a newer-model gray or tan sedan resembling a Chevrolet or Chrysler vehicle, police said.

The car fled the scene, and the cyclist was rushed to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.

Traffic investigators believe that the suspect vehicle also had tinted windows, and that it will exhibit front-end damage.

The death marks the city’s 45th traffic fatality of the year, and the second in as many days after a driver was killed in a crash near Eastridge Mall on Wednesday morning. It was also the fifth roadway death of the year in San Jose where the victim was riding a bicycle.

Anyone with information about the case can contact traffic Detective Brian McMahon at 408-277-4654 or leave a tip with Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at 408-947-STOP or svcrimestoppers.org.

Robert Salonga is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter covering criminal justice and public safety for The Mercury News. A San Jose native, he attended UCLA and has a Master's degree in journalism from the University of Maryland. He previously reported in Washington, D.C., Salinas and the East Bay, and is a middling triathlete. Reach him the low-tech way at 408-920-5002.

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